The Tuesday Thursday Dilemma

Here are Tuesday's games:
  • Wizards(3) @ Bulls(1) Game 5
  • Grizzlies(2) @ Thunder(2) Game 5
  • Warriors(2) @ Clippers(2) Game 5
While that at first glance looks like a surefire Bulls pick for us, it is not as easy as it looks.

You have to look at Thursday's lineup:
  • Bulls(2) @ Wizards(3) Game 6 if necessary
  • Thunder(?) @ Grizzlies(?) Game 6
  • Clippers(?) @ Warriors(?) Game 6
  • Pacers(2) @ Hawks(3) Game 6
Two of the teams from Thunder/Grizzlies/Clippers/Warriors will be down 2-3 by Thursday. And to make it more challenging, the Pacers lost Game 5 earlier and are also in the brink of elimination on Thursday. So that's three teams we have to pick one (1!) player from and at the same time risk losing the other players if they do get eliminated.

Nobody likes to head into Thursday faced with that situation, so some of you will lighten up the burden on Thursday by picking in advance on Tuesday (ignoring the Bulls who "may" win at home). Of course that entails a lot of guesswork too. If you pick correctly from a team that will lose Game 5, then you can head into Thursday with less players to pick from, take advantage of the remaining high-PRA players, and minimise the loss of players for the next round of the playoffs. However, pick wrongly and it's a two-player swing against you.

Or... you can play it safe, choose the hot pick Joakim Noah on Tuesday, and not let Thursday bother you today. Just take note that Noah's PRA is not that far off from the one you will pick on Thursday. Noah can give you around 30 PRA, and that is not bad at all. Of course for those who already picked Joakim Noah, then you are forced to pick from the other games.

For me, here are my pre-picks, playing safe again with the X-3 teams on each date.


I'll get to changing picks for Thursday... after Tuesday.


Save 20% on Youth Jerseys through 4/14 at NBAStore.com

Comments

  1. After the results of today, it's the Chandler Parsons Project on Wednesday and Paul George on Thursday. I don't think I'll switch from George even if OKC or LAC lose, although either of those two will make my head hurt. Seems like Joakim Noah will for sure go unpicked this year, and Indiana losing certainly makes me glad I'm going Z Bo on Tuesday as I need Thursday for George.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On Thursday, either people go for the highest average PRA, or for the player in the team with the least chance to extend series to a Game 7.

      Delete
  2. This is getting interesting. Most people are going to pick Paul George on Thursday. Or not? Consider this scenario. If Warriors win they will be up 3-2, and if Memphis wins they will be up 3-2. That means Durant, Westbrook, Chris Paul and Paul George face elimination on Thursday. I don't want to have that problem to choose from these stars.
    Right now, I think the clippers are more susceptible to lose. Hopefully Thunder wins, and makes our picks on Thursday easier. For today I am going with Chris Paul, because I think its a safe pick, and I think that even if Clippers win today, this series will go 7, and most people will pick Chris Paul on Game 7. Another reason is, if Memphis OKC goes to seven games as well, we have to choose between Durant, Westbrook and Chris Paul that day. Who else has Chris Paul today?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great stuff..... Anonymous
      .....I took Paul George last night for the 44pra...
      My chips are in on LAC and OKC winning...
      ....I'm hoping you are wrong in the LAC(as I've used up the GS players), I think all this crap going on will push them through the series..(they were shaken up that last game) Surely with all this support get it together....
      .....if it comes down to 7 with the OKC MEM series I will have spent my MEM players by then and then only have OKC players to choose from so that will be someone easier for me....
      ..... Sometimes I don't mind passing on a great player and not being able to use them according to to things. My score is above average and I had predicted their team would not make it....
      ....... I've come to accept that this contest is 10% picking a good player and 90% guessing the outcomes to the series, and that is not easy.
      ...
      Good luck

      Delete
  3. Great blog Taong.....
    .....You broke it down pretty good...
    So glad I don't have to worry about most of that...
    .....As I put my chips in early, betting on the LAC and ATL to win. I have not taking any of their players and used up the GS and IND players(P.G. last night for 44pra)....
    ......Though I can say that from the beginning I had no interest in Noah or any Bull for that matter.
    .....
    That leads to my problem.. I'm an OKC fan and like you're rooting for DAL over SAS(you're a little bit more realistic knowing it is a tough series and could go any way) where as I'm not being realistic and 'know' OKC will win LOL
    .....and because of that I'm spending my MEM players... I had Gasol for 38pra last game in a OKC win and tonight I will go with Zach Randolph to give me a 40+ in a losing battle.. *smirk*
    ....
    Hey, my chips are in.......
    ...
    btw, tough pick with Parker last night and sorry about the DAL loss..I was Sooo rooting for them.... also I have not picked players from either of these two teams as I have no interest in the low pra's the SAS have been putting up and I'm banking on DAL moving on lol
    ....
    Best of luck everyone..
    .......................................Thunder UP !!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't want to pick any bull either... So,

      29- Lee (GSW)
      30- Lowry (TOR)
      01- George (IND)

      Delete
    2. Thanks imawake! I can see OKC advancing so I think you as a fan have this easy. Go ahead pick 'em Grizzlies. I have picked a Grizzly already and none from Thunder, so yeah.. hope MEM fails to live up to their defense.

      I actually wanted DAL to have the 7th seed but lost it to MEM on the last day. Hey, not hitting on OKC (KD for MVP!) but SAS is sooooo difficuuuuult!

      Delete
    3. LOL I don't blame you.. SAS for years now have been difficult...... :/

      Delete
  4. Hey guys, how could the mess around sterling impact on the clippers perfomances? I'm a bit worried about it, because these situations can always be bad for the players.. Golden State is the worst team possible to play against in a situation like this.. Tonight's game is so difficult to predict, and if the clippers lose then i'll have on thursday griffin paul and george to choose (without even thinking about a possible loss of thunder tonight, would be a disaster) . I picked Zibo for tonight but minute by minute i'm thinking on risk paul or griffin to play george 100% on thursday and avoid the possibility of lose the points potential of both the clippers. What do u think?

    Matteo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that Sterling has been banned for life, the Clips will celebrate on the floor tonight by beating the Warriors. That's what will happen and they'll likely win in GS as well taking the series in 6. That's my prediction.

      Delete
  5. Memphis is gonna beat OKC. That being said, I'm going with KD tonight. How 'bout it KD, wanna join my framily?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have watched almost every minute of this series. Memphis has been the better team. If you weren't an NBA fan, you'd think the Grizzlies would be the number 2 seed. OKC does have home court, but Memphis was able to win there before. Putting lots of stock into Memphis, as I haven't used a Grizzlies player in DTTF yet. Don't let me down!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Risky risky. I saw it in Kevin Durant's eyes as he hugged Reggie Jackson and thanked him for saving their series. He's going to take over & the Grizzlies have no chance.

      Delete
    2. KD's playoff shot chart...
      https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=756023661096876&substory_index=0&id=304301822935731

      Delete
  7. Sterling got banned for life so i think that will give clippers a lift even though i think its had zero influence on them, the performance the other night was nothing but warriors shooting lights out like they do at home

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dirk isn´t quite himself these playoffs. At least he got up to 28 PRA, and the Mavs lost. Good for DTTF, bad in real life :(

    Tonight I stick with Z-Bo. Expect a huge game from him and a win by OKC, or else I am going to miss out on KD and RW.

    Tomorrow it´s my last good Rocket in Chandler Parsons, followed by Paul George (so far, let´s hope the Grizz don´t get no stupid ideas tonight).

    Sure hope the Clippers won´t be too distracted. The Preview-text on nba.com is entirely about Serling. Not a single word about basketball.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dirk just doesn't score big these days and mavs don't use him like that anymore, they use him like spurs use duncan sparingly.

      z-bo is a good pick depending how many grizz you've used.

      p george should be tomorrows pick and pacer are gone. atlanta aren't great offensively but their 3's are too much for them and I don't see them stealing another road game they blew their chance yesterday just going through the motions they think they're better then what they are and at the end of the day hark works is what matters and the hawks will out do them. if horford was fit hawks would have swept them.

      for clippers it comes down to todays game if they lose they're in trouble but i think they'll be fine the sterling distraction is overrated it was warriors hot shooting last game that beat them nothing else.

      Delete
    2. Splitter is doing a good job on Dirk. Diaw too. As much as Coach Pop says he can't stop Dirk, he exactly knows how to stop Dirk. He is misleading the media from Manu's play.

      Delete
  9. Personally i see okc in 7, i think they'll win today by double digits because they'll speed up their play, if they don't they're playing into grizz advantage and they'll end up losing this series. grizz win at home then durant takes over his demons from last yr and wins game 7. I've taken 2 grizz already so no need to pick my last one yet.

    Clippers in 6-7 games for me, but if they lose today then i'll start picking from them because they won't beat warriors unless they do it today. Sterling getting banned should give them a lift also i've used curry and lee already so i only need to pick thomp and iggy later if needed.

    That leads to my pick for today and I'm going with Noah surprise surprise. bulls and wiz is over, I think wizards will win today they're just better offensively and just as good as them defensively, bulls couldn't even beat them without Nene the other day. I expect Noah to play most of the game and get close to a triple double.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ideal for everybody is for the Game 5 winner to win Game 6.

      If not, more pick pandemonium on the Game 7 pick.

      Delete
  10. That was a heartbreaking finish. Wow....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow....
    .....................That changes everything lol :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Changes nothing for me. Picking Paul George in Game 6 and praying, PRAYING that the Oklahoma City Thunder find a way to win. Everybody is going to jump to Durant and Westbrook. If it goes 7, I'm going Gasol. If I get lucky, everyone loses Durant and Westbrook and the Thunder advance.

      Delete
    2. Well.........As I have said before my chips were in with OKC....
      I'm sticking with my plan and like you my chips are riding with OKC to pull it out I will be using my last MEM player and going with Conley that night....

      Delete
    3. Gonna be tough. Okc looked awful for most of this game, save that run they had to close out the 3rd and half the 4th. KD not himself, missing FTs and taking low percentage shots. I've never seen a team as resilient as MEM. What are the odds game 6 goes to OT?

      Delete
    4. btw.... I like your style Tangent... sticking with your guns...and taking that chance.... Those are the kind of moves that win contest like this. Bold ones.... :)

      Delete
    5. Yes they looked awful, and me being an OKC fan it hurts to say that... I tell you one thing though if they pull it out in MEM (and THAT will be hard) it will be rock'n in OKC that next game.... the odds on game 6 going to OT? lol

      Delete
  12. 3 losses for OKC and all 3 in OT That's so heartbreaking. OKC digs themselves into holes early. I believe in OKC more than the Pacers. That's why I'm taking PG24 Thursday. If pacers so great. If not I move on. If the Thunder lose it's gonna hurt me but it's not like KD has been doing great same with Westbrook. I still have two Grizzles, every clipper,every blazer, and every spur. I'm gonna be just fine. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes, heartbreaking..... I also believe more in OKC than IND....Taking PG for Thursday is a good choice and I would do the same... I also not taking a OKC player.. I'm holding out they pull it off.... I'm taking my last MEM player Conley that night...
    ......BUT you are absolutely wrong about KD and RW not going good.... They both have put up GREAT PRA for this contest. Not ONE bad game for this contest...
    ...
    K.D. = 48, 51, 42, 32 and 36
    R.W = 38, 44, 45, 31 and 53

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment